Media devices, such as a set top box, are configured to receive media content events (referred to herein interchangeably as a “program”) from a broadcasting system. Non-limiting examples of media content events include movies, news programs, sporting events, serial comedies or dramas, and other thematic-based media content even programming. Media content evens may also include advertisements, commercials or the like.
The media content events may be communicated to the media device by a program service provider over the broadcasting system. Non-limiting examples of broadcasting systems include satellite systems, cable or other wire-based systems, or over the air (OTA) broadcasting systems. Media content events may also be accessed from other sources, such as a web site or an on-demand content source via the Internet or other suitable communication system.
A legacy electronic program guide (EPG) may be used to present program viewing selection choices to a user. The legacy EPG has the look and feel of a table that uses a combination of text and/or symbols to indicate the program viewing choices that may be selected by the user. The legacy EPG is a type of a user interface that presents a menu, or a series of menus, that describe available programs that are available for presentation.
Typically, a first vertical bar (shown on the left-hand side of the EPG) indicates various program provider sources (referred to herein interchangeably as a “station”) of the available programming. The vertical column in typically divided into a series of blocks (referred to herein interchangeably as a “legacy channel information block”), wherein each legacy channel information block presents information that identifies one of a plurality of different stations.
Stations are typically identified by an assigned channel identifier. The identifier is typically a numeral (referred to herein interchangeably as a “channel number”), that is indicated in the legacy channel information block. Further, a station is also identified in the legacy channel information block by an assigned call sign (referred to herein interchangeably as call letters). The call letters of a station is typically a series of three or more letters or other alpha numeric characters. The call letters intuitively identifies the station to the user. For example, a particular station may be identified using a channel number of 123 and the call letters “XYZ” that have been assigned to a particular station. When the user views a legacy channel information block with the call letters “XYZ” on a presented legacy EPG, the user intuitively recognizes that particular station. Over time, the user may associate the station and its call sign with the assigned channel number.
Other textual and/or image information may also be indicated in a legacy channel information block, such as, but not limited to, characteristics that describe typical content provided by the station or location of the station identified in the legacy channel information block. For example, a legacy channel information block may include the text “Denver News” to indicate to the user that the station is located in Denver and that the station typically is presenting news related information in its various programs. The legacy channel information block may also include an image, such as a logo, a trademarked graphical icon, or the like that is notoriously well known to the public as being associated with that particular station.
Typically, the legacy channel information block identifying a plurality of available stations are arranged on the presented legacy EPG in consecutive order based on the station's channel number. However, a legacy EPG may be configured to present legacy channel information blocks in an order based on genre, type of content, or other characteristics. The characteristics may be user specified or user selected. For example, a legacy EPG may present a plurality of legacy channel information blocks that are associated with the user's favorite channels. As another example, a plurality of legacy channel information blocks identifying stations that present movies, children's programming, sporting events, news programming, or the like.
A presented legacy EPG also indicates information pertaining to available programs that are provided by each of the various stations. Typically, information describing an individual program is presented in a block (referred to herein interchangeably as a “legacy program information block”). The width of a legacy program information block varies based on the duration of that particular program. For example, the legacy program information block for a two hour long movie may be four times as long (wide) as a legacy program information block for a half hour serial program.
Typically, the display area of a legacy EPG that presents a plurality of legacy program information blocks (referred to herein interchangeably as the “program information block display field”) has a sufficient width to permit display of a plurality of legacy program information blocks indicating available programs over some predefined span of time. Thus, a time ordered series of legacy program information blocks may be presented in the horizontal bar that spans the particular time period shown on the legacy EPG (wherein the time period corresponds to the total width of the horizontal bar of legacy program information blocks). The horizontal row of legacy program information blocks indicating programming available from a particular station are aligned with the legacy channel information block of that station so that the viewing user intuitively understands that the programs in a particular horizontal bar of legacy program information blocks are being provided by the station indicated in the aligned legacy channel information block.
Preferably, the legacy EPG further includes a supplemental horizontal bar that indicates a time scale (referred to herein interchangeably as the “time scale bar”). The legacy time scale bar typically is a time scale that demarks time units. The legacy time scale bar is typically divided up by units of time corresponding to the hour or half hour. Hours of the day may be used to indicate particular units of time. Further, the date and/or day of the week may be indicated on the legacy time scale bar. The legacy time scale bar may be shown above or below the field of the legacy EPG that presents the plurality of channel information blocks and the associated legacy program information blocks.
Information presented in a particular legacy program information block may include the title of available program, and optionally a brief textual description of the program. Some legacy EPGs may be configured to present an image and/or a short thumbnail video clip in a legacy program information block. Since any particular legacy program information block is arranged in a horizontal bar that is aligned with the station that is providing that program, the user intuitively identifies the particular station providing the program. Further, since the legacy program information blocks are arranged in a time ordered sequence, the user intuitively appreciates the scheduled time and date of the program presentation because each individual legacy program information block is in vertical alignment with a particular unit of time shown on the presented time scale bar.
A presented legacy EPG is interactive with the user. Accordingly, the user is able to “scroll” or “navigate” about the legacy EPG to select a program of interest. Typically, a currently active legacy program information block is indicated using a suitable focusing means such that the visibility of the focused legacy program information block is highlighted, thus increasing the awareness of the focused legacy program information block to a user viewing the legacy EPG. Focusing may be implemented by using any suitable highlighting means, such as using a predefined color for text font and/or background, using a predefined background fill pattern, using a heightened brightness or the like. Accordingly, the focusing differentiates the active legacy program information block from other legacy program information blocks indicated on the legacy EPG.
If the user selects a particular active legacy program information block identifying a program that is currently being broadcast, the presentation on the display automatically changes from presentation of the legacy EPG to presentation of that particular program associated with the selected active legacy program information block. If the active legacy program information block identifies a program that is scheduled for presentation at some future time, then an optional recording feature may be automatically executed such that when that particular program is broadcasted at its scheduled time, the program is automatically recorded by a media device that is receiving the program.
A current problem in the arts is that legacy EPGs are inherently limited in the amount of information that can be presented at a single moment by the size (dimensions) of the display that is presenting the legacy EPG to a user. For example, a limited number of legacy channel information blocks may be shown in a vertical column of the legacy EPG due to the height of the display. For example, a legacy EPG may be limited to presenting scheduled programming for ten stations (ten legacy channel information blocks in the vertical channel). If a greater number of legacy channel information blocks are included in the vertical column, the font size of the information presented in each legacy channel information block must be reduced in view of the height of the display, and therefore may become so small that the user will not be able to read (discern) the information therein.
Further, the number of legacy program information blocks that may be shown in any single horizontal bar is limited by the horizontal dimension of the legacy time scale bar. That is, the legacy time scale bar is only able to span a limited duration because of the limiting width of the display that is presenting the legacy EPG. Therefore, the number of legacy program information blocks that may be indicated for a particular station is limited by the limited span of the time scale bar and the sum of the widths of each particular legacy program information block (wherein the width of each particular legacy program information block corresponds to the duration of time that is required for presentation of that particular program). Also, the width of the legacy channel information block is defined by a left edge of the legacy EPG and the start of the legacy time scale bar (particularly since any added width made to the legacy channel information block decreases the available width for the legacy time scale bar).
To view information about other available stations that are not currently indicated on a presented legacy EPG, the user may page upward or downwards, and/or scroll upward or downwards, to change presentation of legacy channel information blocks that indicate the other available stations. For example, a legacy EPG may be limited to presenting ten legacy channel information blocks for stations having channel identifiers 100 through 109. If the user wishes to view available programming on the station having the channel identifier 110 (which is not indicated on the currently presented legacy EPG), the user simply pages downward one time (wherein stations having channel identifiers 110 through 119 are then displayed on the legacy EPG). Alternatively, the user may simply scroll down one channel information block (wherein stations having channel identifiers 101 through 110 are then displayed on the legacy EPG). Search functions may also be available, wherein the user enters a station or channel identifier of interest, which then causes to legacy EPG to display a group of legacy channel information blocks that include the specified station or channel identifier of interest.
To view information about available media content events that may be available beyond the limited duration of the horizontal bar of the EPG, the user can similarly “page” forward in time, or “scroll” forward in time, to thereby cause presentation of legacy program information blocks for future scheduled programs. For example, the user may page forward in increments of time corresponding to the duration of the time scale bar. Here, a single paging operation made to a legacy EPG with a time scale bar that spans six hours will then cause the legacy EPG to indicate available programs scheduled for presentation over the next six hours.
Alternatively, or additionally, the user may scroll to the right through the presented series of legacy program information blocks on any particular horizontal row, and when the last presented legacy program information block becomes focused, a next scroll operation will shift the series of presented legacy program information blocks be one unit of time (of the time scale bar). Accordingly, the legacy program information block for the next scheduled program is then indicated. Furthermore, the scrolling causes all of the legacy program information blocks for other stations presented on the legacy EPG to increment to the right by one unit of time. After the user has paged and/or scrolled forward in time, the user may then page and/or scroll backwards in time on the legacy EPG.
However, the process of paging and/or scrolling to view additional available programs scheduled for presentation by a particular station can be relatively time consuming and cumbersome to the user. Accordingly, there is a need in the arts for an improved EPG that allows a user to more readily access information related to available programming.